Florida sinkhole reminiscent of NW perils

Friday, March 8, 2013

The tragic March 1 story out of Florida about a sinkhole swallowing a man and his bed whole might cause Northwest residents to wonder: Can it happen here? Sinkholes can form virtually anywhere erosion occurs, in areas both moist and dry. In 2009 a 10-foot-deep sinkhole popped open on a sidewalk near Seattle’s Pioneer Square, injuring a man who fell in. An entire Astoria city block collapsed into a gaping hole in December 2010. And just this past July, ABC’s “Good Morning America” aired video of sod and soil caving into a giant abyss that formed behind a Whidbey Island home. Watch and read the ABC report.